Hello readers, and welcome to today’s election edition of Afternoon Update.
Anthony Albanese says officials are seeking further information after a news report emerged that Russia is seeking to base military aircraft in Indonesia’s remote Papua region, on Australia’s northern doorstep.
Albanese said on Tuesday: “We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region, very clearly” adding “we stand with Ukraine”.
At an earlier press conference, he delved into eclectic terrain, covering everything from parties for dogs and Star Wars Day (4 May) to Vegemite being superior to Marmite.
There was a little more predictability from Peter Dutton, who visited his tenth petrol bowser on Tuesday to spruik the Coalition’s fuel excise cut, and managed to sneak in a dog pat.
Both leaders are continuing to tout – and defend – their duelling housing policies, though Dutton says he doesn’t want house prices to “plummet”.
Today’s big stories
Anthony Albanese was all smiles in Tasmania’s marginal seat of Lyons this morning, where he visited clinicians at an urgent care clinic and posed with his Medicare card before jetting to a Melbourne social housing estate.
His jovial mood could be partly attributed to today’s poll numbers, as the opposition leader continued to battle internal dissent – and confusion – over his housing and nuclear power policies.
Dutton visited a new housing estate in Bacchus Marsh, north-west of Melbourne, and again appeared with his son, Harry. Yesterday, the 20-year-old said it would be “nearly impossible” to buy a house despite him “saving like mad”.
Today, the opposition leader conceded he would help his children with a deposit “at some stage” but said the issue wasn’t “about” his or the prime minister’s capacity to contribute.
Farther north, the Greens were wooing the kiddies in Brisbane with a cook-up to promote their policy announcement of free lunches for all primary school students.
And the Coalition has spent more than $100,000 on Facebook ads attacking the teal independents, accusing them of repeatedly voting with the Greens. But what does the data show? And can we still view election campaigns as a two-horse race?
What they said
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“We need to have the latest technology in the system, we need to have gas as an interim … Nuclear is a key part of the policy. We do not shy away from it.”
Dutton was asked by a reporter why he hadn’t visited any potential nuclear power sites on the campaign trail, as part of questioning on fresh comments from the Victorian Liberal leader that his party’s focus was on gas, not nuclear. He said nuclear remained a “key part” of the energy transition.
How the internet saw it
If you head to the Greens website, a link on their events page has been broken and removed. That’s because they’ve rescheduled a “Greens party party”, which was originally due to take place on Anzac Day in Western Australia, after backlash from both major leaders.
In a statement, WA co-convener Chilla Bulbeck said the event, to fundraise for candidate Sophie Greer and Senator Jordon Steele-John, would take place on another day, adding Greer would attend an Anzac Day service “as she was always intending to do”.
Albanese said in his press conference on Tuesday in response to questions on the party that “Anzac Day is a day of respect”, while Dutton called the event “completely inappropriate”.
The big picture
Readers, we have another nonplussed dog on the campaign trail! Dutton met Ruby at the petrol station he visited for a photo opportunity in Rockbank, in Melbourne’s north-west.
She didn’t look particularly overjoyed by the encounter, but it was likely a pleasant experience for the opposition leader, given the resemblance (at least in fur colouring) that she bears to Dutton’s dog, Ralph.
Watch
If you need a break from the thrills of the election, look no further than Valerie the miniature dachshund, who has been spotted sniffing around a trap and capering with a food box in footage captured more than 500 days since she escaped from a pen on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
Will the tiny, globally famous hound ever be returned to her owners? Will she make a surprise appearance on the campaign trail? Only time will tell.
And in other news …
Woman killed in late-night drive-by shooting in Sydney suburb
Port Adelaide’s Willie Rioli granted leave in wake of post outlining ‘hatred’ for Hawthorn
China’s Xi Jinping is in Vietnam to figure out how to ‘screw’ the US, says Trump
Easter long weekend weather: mostly warm and sunny conditions in store for major Australian cities
Trump officials cut billions in Harvard funds after university defies demands
Sudan in ‘world’s largest humanitarian crisis’ after two years of civil war
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: IONS. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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